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Newcastle face a tall task against Arsenal at the Emirates

By Carson A Merk

Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal is fouled by Paul Dummett of Newcastle United F.C. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal is fouled by Paul Dummett of Newcastle United F.C. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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After an embarrassing loss vs. Sheffield United, can Newcastle United score an upset vs. the Gunners?

Newcastle United will try to get the bad taste of the loss vs. Sheffield United out of their mouths as they look to upset Arsenal tomorrow. Newcastle have struggled mightily vs. the Gunners over the past decade and are in poor form, which does not make for a great combination in tomorrow’s matchup.

Player to Watch

Newcastle United: Jonjo Shelvey

While the absences on the backline and Allan Saint-Maximin hurt the club, Newcastle are a completely different club when Shelvey is in the middle of the park. He’s been out in recent weeks with groin soreness following hernia surgery in the fall and the Magpies have desperately missed his ability to impact the match and set the tempo with long passing and quick distribution. If he’s fit, Shelvey returning vs. the Gunners could be game-changer.

Arsenal: Gabriel Martinelli 

The exciting Brazilian forward picked up an ankle injury in warmups for the FA Cup match vs. NUFC. But, he was back in training earlier this week and Mikel Arteta could turn to the explosiveness 19-year-old to provide some explosiveness up top.

NUFC Availability Update

Ryan Fraser will serve his one-match ban for the red card vs. Sheffield United. Steve Bruce indicated that Jamal Lewis and Jamaal Lascelles could be back in action, while there’s a “problem” with Federico Fernandez. He also explained that Allan Saint-Maximin is returning to training, but that he will need to work his way back from his extended absence.

Next. Bruce shouldn't determine his own Newcastle fate. dark

Newcastle United will win if…

The loss to Sheffield United was a wake-up call. If Steve Bruce abandons his ultra-defensive approach and lets the Magpies play some more expansive soccer, they could come away with a result. With eight losses in the EPL this season, Arsenal are far from unbeatable, despite their five-match unbeaten streak in all competitions.